NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: The Enforcement Directorate has attached properties of former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah to the tune of Rs 12 crore under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Abdullah and his close associates are being probed for laundering over Rs 100 crore of funds received by the J&K Cricket Association when he was its president.
The attached properties include his Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar; one at Katipora tehsil in Tanmarg and one in Jammu. One of his commercial buildings at posh Residency Road area of Srinagar are among assets attached besides other lands.
“Among these attached properties the residence and land of Farooq Abdullah at Gupkar Road and commercial buildings at Residency Road are state lands obtained on lease. The other attached house at Bhatindi, Village Sunjwan, (Jammu) had been constructed by Farooq Abdullah on state and forest land, where he has also grabbed them illegally,” ED has claimed in its attachment order.
The agency has said that its investigations revealed Abdullah had, during 2006 to 2011 when he was president of the JKCA, “misused his position” and laundered funds the cricket association received from the BCCI. The JKCA had received Rs 110 crore from BCCI during this period.
“Between 2006 and 2012, when Farooq Abdullah was President of JKCA, he misused his position and clout illegally appointing office bearers of JKCA whom he gave financial powers for the purpose of laundering of JKCA funds,” ED claimed.
The agency further claimed that Abdullah was “instrumental as well as beneficiary of the laundered funds of JKCA”. The probe revealed that ignoring existing bank accounts of JKCA, Abdullah’s aides opened six new bank accounts to launder the funds.
The agency said its probe has already tracked JKCA funds to the tune of more than Rs 45 crore laundered by Abdullah and his aides, including cash withdrawals to the tune of Rs 25 crore with no corresponding justification. “Investigations disclose that for the purpose of generation of proceeds of crime, JKCA funds were layered by way of complex interbank transfers in all the bank accounts of JKCA and also by transfer to several personal bank accounts,” ED said.
Abdullah’s son, Omar Abdullah, in a series of tweets, said properties attached by ED are largely ancestral properties dating back to the 1970s. The most recent one was built in 2003.
“My father has seen the media reports regarding attachment of his properties in the ongoing investigation into the JKCA matter. Not surprisingly the media was tipped off regarding the seizure before he had received any official notice or documentation,” Omar said in a tweet.